All healthcare facilities in Dubai, including public and private hospitals and daycare health centres will be rated.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, January 31, 2018

By September, Dubai will roll out a system to rate healthcare facilities on the basis of their performance, giving patients a chance to choose from among the best.

The facilities will be rated on five pillars with the top being patient safety, which is based on the Dubai Patient Safety Index, clinical excellence, patient happiness as well as operational and financial aspects.

'Based on these outcomes, we will rate the facility which will give the patients a chance to select a value-based health system,' said Ahmed Hamdan, principal clinical quality officer at the Health Regulation Department of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

All healthcare facilities in Dubai, including public and private hospitals and daycare health centres will be rated.

'We will track their performance based on international benchmarks and if the ratings fall, the provider will have to give an action plan on how it will improve,' said Ahmed while explaining the system at the ongoing Arab Health Exhibition and Conference 2018.

Immunisation record

The Qeyas project is part of a bigger IT roadmap being launched by the DHA. Under its Hasana project, the health authority will create a unique immunisation record for each individual in Dubai to improve preventative care.

Amani Al Jassmi, director of information technology at the DHA, said: 'The initiative will provide access to unified immunisation records at any facility and will ensure availability of relevant data. It also enables the DHA to lay the foundation for the Population Health Management System, which will be robust enough to manage and contain the spread of communicable diseases.'

Al Jassmi said that the immunisation management system will have a host of features such as immunisation schedules and eligibility, immunisation planning and management, adverse effects and mass immunisation campaigns.

It will help in outbreak management - prevention, monitoring, management and analysis of outbreak cases. It will also help in investigation management - identification, investigation and management of cases and contacts. It will help in tracking clinical data related to investigations, signs and symptoms, complications, outcomes, interventions and treatment plans.

It will also provide a smart application to manage and administer school mass immunisation campaigns. 'As a contributor to Smart cities initiative, the DHA is working closely with Smart Dubai office to achieve Dubai's Unified strategy.'

Smart initiatives

Sheryan programme (Health Facilities & Medical Professionals Licensing) is one among many initiatives, which will enable healthcare professionals and fac-ilities operating in Dubai to better meet the health and wellness needs of the growing population with higher patient outcomes and delivery of care.

Another platform is the Health Information Exchange Portal. Al Jassmi said: 'The DHA is planning on extending its platform to allow private facilities to share patients' health related information as per each patient's consent in a more secured and efficient manner.

'This will help Dubai achieve a unified health record and further enhance the efficiency and wellness needs of the growing population of Dubai.

'We are also working to revamp the existing Overseas Treatment System which supports every UAE citizen in providing necessary treatment locally and specialised treatment plans abroad.'